Snakes in the 46'ers

[EJohnsADK]

Has anyone ran into any snakes in the past hiking any of the 46 high peaks? If so what was your experience with that encounter?

 

[AntlerPeak]

If you are asking about the high peaks area it has been often stated by area rangers that there are no poisoness snakes in the high peak region. A few times someone has contradicted that but I know of no confirmed sitings or incidents. Having spent thirty years climbing in the high peaks I can say I have never seen one. So if they are there they hide well and are not a problem. This is specific to the high peaks other areas are a different story.

 

[mavs00]

Well................

There was this slithery serpent last week-

I wasn't to alarmed, since its only a common -EASTERN GARTER SNAKE- , Which is quite harmless and certainly non-venomous. Note this one has the checkerboard coloration that seems common in the DAKS. I've seen snakes from time to time hiking, almost all are these types and none that were terribly impressive in size (must be the short growing season).

I see them much bigger near my home in western NY. This monster was about 18-20 inches long. He was kinda pissed cause my son almost stepped on him accidently . Here's -MORE NY SNAKE INFO-

 

[rhihn]

EJohnsADK, you don't indicate whether or not it's POISONOUS snakes you're worried about, but if that's the case, there is little to fear. Here is a site that describes poisonous snake locations in the state, and none of them is apparently in the high peaks:

http://www.esf.edu/pubprog/brochure/snakes/snakes.htm

Briefly, there are only three species of poisonous snakes in New York: timber rattler, massasauga rattler, and copperhead. Apparently the timber rattler is a "threatened" species, and the massasauga rattler is "endangered." Timber rattlers are mainly in southeastern New York (except Long Island and NYC), and some as far north as Lake George, and in the Southern Tier in western NY. The massasauga is only found in two wetlands, one near Syracuse, and the other west of Rochester. The copperhead is found mostly in the lower Hudson Valley, south of Kingston.

 

[EJohnsADK]

Thanks all for your info, I was wondering about the poisonous ones and non..was basically wondering if you run into snakes much while hiking. I am not to found of snakes to say the least..LOL. We hiked Cascade and Porter last September and I didn't see any. Was wondering how lucky I will be this year...
Thanks all.

 

[EJohnsADK]

Oh yeah also, I was talking about the High Peaks. We are thinking of climbing Phelps this Friday. My husband is all excited...I am too but am still afraid of those snakes even though he tells me they are more scared of me and will probably slide away once they hear us....hmmm not sure if he is just trying to make sure I don't back out of this hike or not.

 

[mavs00]

No worry's EJohns, snakes arn't my favorite either (better then spiders though ), but there is not anything to worry about out there. The "Black Rat" snake is pretty ugly, but otherwise harmeless.

It's like seeing a bear in the woods, it can be kinda scary in the moment, but the reality of the situation is that you likely have nothing to fear from the average ADK Bear. Just another facinating part of nature. Just don't go hiking in Australia .

 

[Barbarossa]

Was it a northern copperhead?

Thanks Mavs!

A couple years ago on Rattlesnake Mtn in Rumney, NH I encountered a feisty baby snake. It did not retreat, but coiled to strike.

I have searched several hours looking for New Hampshire snakes. The northern copperhead in the link you posted is awfully close. I'm going to pull that one from the Unsolved Mysteries folder and do some digging.

-Barb

 

[EJohnsADK]

My husband would flip out seeing a spider too I am new to this hiking stuff and found I love it. Being ontop of Cascade and Porter was an amazing experience!!! We want to hike all the 46 high peaks. I just need to get over this snake thing...I am not actually afraid of being bite..it's just seeing them..LOL...UGGGG I should be more afraid of the bears, they are alot bigger. I suppose in time, I will get use to them, guess it's that women thing. Thanks for the encouragement though, it really helps. I love this site too..great to talk to people who can share and give you heads up and so on. I just figured out how to do our profile and get a picture on.
Thanks again!!

 

[Raymond]

My honey and I encountered a snake on Rocky Peak en route to her 46th High Peak, right about the 4000-foot level, where she said there wouldn't be any.

We also met one in the midst of swallowing an enormous frog on our way back from Allen. It startled the heck out of me, because it looked at first glimpse like some weird kind of lizard. I'm the type who immediately goes into reverse at the first sight of anything snakelike, and that one had me almost lose my balance I was in such haste to back away from it— er, them.

Both encounters were in the month of September, for what that's worth. And Susan, who's herpephile to my herpephobe, assured me that neither of the serpents was poisonous.

 

[masshysteria]

I've only seen two snakes in the ADKs.One was at the camping area behind Round Pond, in a fire ring. The other was on the top of Hough. He was sunning himself on the summit rock. Both were harmless Garter snakes and both fled the scene. High elevation does not limit them, so you will see them above 4000 ft..

 

[TCD]

I've also seen the "Garter snake in the midst of swallowing the frog" while hiking near Chapel Pond. Very weird looking, a snake with legs sticking out of its mouth!

The High Peaks region has no Rattlers or Copperheads, officially. I have also heard a couple reports, one from a good source, of a Copperhead being seen, but at the very least, they're rare in the area.

Adirondack Rattlesnakes are common near Lake George. They are very common on Tongue Mountain, and also occasionally seen near Black Mountain and on the islands. They are also found on the ridges near the South Bay of Lake Champlain.

 

[anita514]

I saw a squished garter snake on Lake Road last week...

 

[spaddock]

Being ontop of Cascade and Porter was an amazing experience!!! We want to hike all the 46 high peaks. I just need to get over this snake thing...I am not actually afraid of being bite..it's just seeing them..LOL...UGGGG I should be more afraid of the bears

Glad you've caught on to the addiction.

I've hiked 37 of the high peaks and I've never seen a snake, ever. Or a bear for that matter...

Enjoy your upcoming adventures and welcome to the community.


-Shayne

 

[EJohnsADK]

Hey I really like Shayne's answer... never seen one, hopefully that will be my experience. Thanks for the welcome. My husband and I enjoy this forum alot. It really teaches you and gives you good tips on things. Some day when we get more experience, hopefully we can be of some help to others.

 

[mike1889]

I saw 2 garter snakes, just like the ones in Tim's pic, on the approach to Allen on 6/4. I could hear them rustling in the leaves before I saw them.

 

[bigmoose]

Ten years ago I was taking my kids up Dix via Hunter's Pass...beautiful August Day...at one point I decided to clamber up a rock face west of the trail to find a nice spot for a panoramic pic of the Dix slides. As I climbed to a particularly scenic spot, I nearly used a coiled snake for a handhold. His coloring blended with the rock...Don't know the make & model, but it was no garter snake...I didn't take the time to straighten him out to measure him, but I'd have needed more than a ruler!...nor did I take time to take the picture. My descent down that rock face was speedy, and I hit the trail with renewed vigor, my kids puffing to keep up, wondering who lit my afterburners.

 

[Raymond]

Susan has informed me that it was actually a toad, not a frog, that we saw being eaten when we were returning from Allen Mountain. Just its backside was in the snake's mouth; it looked at me with pleading in its eyes, but it was too late to try to free it.

 

[woodstrider]

Snakes in the Adirondacks

I've been all over the Adirondacks and I've never seen any poisonous snakes up there, a harmless garter snakes.